1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to compositions of matter and is particularly directed to stable unsubstituted sulfonium salts and methods of isolating same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hydrogen sulfide has been found to be extremely useful as a reagent in forming numerous chemical compounds. However, the storage of hydrogen sulfide is hazardous due to its extreme toxicity and high volatility. Numerous attempts have been made to overcome these problems or to avoid such problems by providing a source of hydrogen sulfide which would not be subject to these problems, but which could be actuated, as desired, to supply the needed hydrogen sulfide. However, none of the prior art techniques have been entirely satisfactory. Thus, it has been known that the foregoing problems could be somewhat alleviated by using iron sulfide and, when desired, reacting this with hydrochloric acid to generate hydrogen sulfide. While this technique is effective, it still involves handling and storage of a highly corrosive acid.